Amalia's Tale: An Impoverished Peasant Woman, an Ambitious Attorney, and a Fight for Justice

by David I. Kertzer

The author of The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara examines a nineteenth-century court case in which an ambitious crusading attorney, Augusto Barbieri, took on the case of Amalia Bagnacavalli, an impoverished, illiterate young peasant woman from the mountains near Bologna, Italy, who contracted syphilis from the sickly baby she had been forced to wet nurse.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Italy, 19th Century, Biography, Womens

237 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

David Israel Kertzer is an American anthropologist, historian, and academic, specializing in the political, demographic, and religious history of Italy. He is the Paul Dupee, Jr. University Professor of Social Science, Professor of Anthropology, and Professor of Italian Studies at Brown University.

Reviews

[Andrea Balfour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally picked this up randomly at the book store. I barely read the inside cover and was interested by name only. I was suprised to find it's an historical account of a legal battle between a peasant and the healthcare establishment during the times of reformation in Italy. The history was presented as a narrative but with little embelishment which was nice in that he kept mostly to the facts discovered from legal and town records. It was fascinating to learn how many children were given to foundling homes and then "farmed" out to rural wet nurses. The extent of the moral/ethical boundaries in Italy against unwed mothers, infermed citizens, and rich v. poor was a good reminder as was the ever present shifting boundaries in the legal system.

[Etta Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amalia’s Tale situates disease and human rights among the strata of social power and its absence in late-19th century Italy. From the mountain villages surrounding Bologna in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, to the center of the city, Amalia and her family seek justice for the transfer of syphilis from the infant she received from the city’s foundling home. Paid by the city to nurse the child, who soon died from the disease, Amalia faced the harsh realities of infection herself and among the entire family in their small mountain hovel. Her case of disease transmitted through the foundling and nursing system was one among many, but it was one the young attorney Agosto Barbieri chose to take on in a fight against the city’s leaders and injustices against the poor.

David Kertzer unfolds the legal battle, richly detailed and documented from archival records, grounded in his knowledge of Italian social and political history. The short chapters and characterization bring Amalia’s trials—both physical and legal—to life. Here, as in his many other books of Italian biography—I am especially a fan of The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara—Kertzer shares a story that draws readers in because of its connection to today’s concerns. It's no wonder that he wonder the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2015.

In a year of the COVID pandemic and its related economic, social and political concerns, Amalia’s Tale provides a heart wrenching read that is not without its moments of revelation and joy. Unfortunately, this book is out of print—but I was able to find a library copy. Hopefully, you will be able to get a copy as well.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how this book found its way to my “to read” list, but I’m so glad it did! In this compelling social history narrative, the author brings to life the story of Amalia, a young, illiterate mother from a remote village in Italy. Amalia accepts a child from one of Italy’s foundling homes to nurse. A common practice in 1890’s Italy the outsourcing of wet nurses was integral to the foundling system. Amalia contracts syphilis from the infant and passes that disease onto her husband and children. Tragically, also a common occurrence. Into this sad tableau, enters Augusto Barbieri, an ambitious, energetic lawyer, who has hopes for reforming some of the country’s practices. He agrees to represent Amalia in a medical malpractice lawsuit against the foundling hospital. Kertzer does a masterful job bringing alive the details of the lawsuit and its slow ten-year progress through the Italian courts. To Kertzer’s credit, he does not romanticize the story or embellish the facts he found in the records. This slim volume is masterfully researched and the tragic story is told with passion and empathy.

[Guilherme Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book ever! I bought this book at a bookstore for only 5 reais and I didn't expect that this book would become my favorite.

It's amazing the relationship between Amalia and her laywer. And how this relation was bad for Amalia, even when Barbieri, her lawyer, wanted to help her. This book shows us how the rich people always win. No matter what you have/want to do, It's the world's rule.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and well-written but perhaps a deeper look into a side light of Italian history than I really am interested in.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davvero interessante e ben documentato storicamente.

[Deborah aka Reading Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a literary treasure. Anthropologist David I. Kertzer has created with this book a microhistory of events in the life of Amalia Bagnacavalli, a poor Italian peasant woman who contracted syphillis from nursing a foundling child from the Bologna Foundling Home. The setting of a foundling home and babies and the wet nurses spread throughout the countryside of rural Italy who took them in and fed them seems an unlikely source for a story that forever changed social conditions for a population of down-trodden people. However, I was completely fascinated from the first page; first by the courage of Amalia to bring the suit against the rich and powerful in the first place. Second by the bravery of a young, relatively inexperienced attorney to take her case, that would twice reach the Italian Supreme Court and pit him against some of the most powerful leaders in law, medicine, and government in the process. The fact that this history involved a controversial subject and several trials brought a series of dramatic events to light about individuals who are long dead, but have til this day affected Italian laws and social conscienceness. The minute attention to archival records and the many hours, days, months, even years, of research required before the story could be put together accurately was astonishing. This is an aspect of his craft that the author finds pleasurable and exciting as he says" The pleasure of archival research comes not only from discovering such documents, but from handling pieces of paper that were once in the hands of the people whose thoughts and actions of long ago the historian is trying to reconstruct."
In my mind, all that research translated itself into a book that made this microhistory come alive.
Well done.

[Dinah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting story. It begins in 1890 Italy. At the time it was common practice for poor women to take in foundlings (babies abandoned by their mothers). This part of Italy had broken free of papal rule but many of the old laws were still in place. One being that unwed mothers were not permitted to raise their children. These children where sent to foundling homes where wet nurses were employed to feed them. Sounds like an OK system, until you add that fact that syphilis is running rampant in Italy at this time. Babies are being born with syphilis, but not showing symptoms until they are around 3 months old. At that time they transmit the disease to their wet nurses, who often share with the rest of their families.

Our story is centered around Amalie. The foundling home send her home with a sickly baby who days later starts showing signs of syphilis. She returned the baby to the home, but withing a few weeks she developed the first symptoms of the disease.

Amalia did something that no one else had done. She went to see a lawyer. This started a case that spanned 10 years. The questions raised were "Did the Doctors do enough to ensure that the baby was not sick before giving it to Amalia?", "Did the baby infect Amalia?", "Was the foundling home ultimately responsible for worker related injuries?"

This was a true story. The result of the trial were drastic changes to the handling of unwed mothers and these foundlings. Some were positive. Some were devastatingly negative.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A monograph of a case in Italian history -- a young woman whose impoverished family asks her to make some extra money by becoming a wet nurse to foundlings in Bologna is infected with syphilis as a result. She finds the courage to come to a young ambitious attorney and asks him to file suit on her behalf.

He does, and a ten year legal saga commences -- the men who run the hospital refuse to admit any wrongdoing despite evidence to the contrary, and as usual rack up huge legal bills and pay them instead of helping the woman whose family they destroyed. My favourite bit was the part where they blamed Amalia for infecting her family with syphilis -- she should have shown restraint in not sleeping with her husband and giving birth two two sick children who died shortly after birth. In 1890. When women were still being sold with dowries and a sheer lack of birth control. My rage flared up at that part and I had to set the book down for a bit.

With a lot of archaic Italian legal jargon, and a confusing timetable, it isn't an easy read. But it is an important look at a part of our history as women, and Kertzer compares her situation to HIV mothers today, which I kinda see as a good parallel. The stigma is still there, and it's just as hurtful to women and children.

[Marie Clunan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a great find by David Kertzer, who discovered it while researching a different story in the Italian archives. It is a gripping piece of history and well told. The book is written about a lawsuit, so it's no surprise that it sort of feels like it is written by a lawyer (although the author is really an anthropologist). For me, it was too close to the kind of legal work I used to do to feel like a relaxing read. But it was still worth plugging through. If I were taking a history class in college, I would have loved to read it for that purpose. Kertzer talks about his views of historical writing at the end of the book and his belief that stories such as this, involving the experiences of an illiterate peasant woman, are not as often told. Nonetheless, they provide a rich contribution to history. I couldn't agree more!

[Marguerite · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting examination of the Italian justice system and the lives of impoverished peasants (especially women) in the late 19th Century. Amalia is forced by her mother-in-law, with whom she and her husband live, to wet nurse a infant abandoned by an unwed mother in an orphanage. This was a common situation for peasant women who were expected to supplement the family income. The infant had syphilis and Amalia contracted it. I liked the book, but rather than a lot of information on Amalia and other women in the same situation, the author went into great detail about the legal system of the region and the trial, which, after a while, I found tedious.

[Amanda]

Amalia's Tale is a heartbreaking account of one woman's fight for justice in late 19th century Italy. Kertzer's extensive research has produced a highly readable tale that at once drives the reader to discover Amalia's fate while contemplating the many broader implications of her struggle. Class, gender and the legally defined relationship between employers and employees are explored here. A short book (approx. 200 pages of text) that packs a big punch. Recommended for anyone interested in history, law, gender studies and communicable diseases!

[Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting legal and medical history around a time of great change following Italy's unification. I learned way more than I needed to about syphilis, sometimes more than once, though, so that's why it gets only 2 stars.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This is a great book that bridges history with story telling yet is not a fictional account but the reality of a peasant's life in Italy. Can't wait to read similar books in this style.

[Meri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though a little repetitive, this was a good story about a peasant woman's fight against the establishment during a period of rapid social change in Italy.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story about a 19th century Italian peasant woman who stood up to the power of the government, the church and the aristocracy.

[Janice Griffin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. It was about amalia suing the hospital in charge of the fondling home; not interesting

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
I also love Law & Order. But I had never even considered some of the societal implications of wet nurse to baby (or vice versa) infection.

[Amalia Carty · Rating 3 out of 5]

sad, sad, sad, and will make you hate lawyers...even if you're trying to become one...
apart from that, I felt it was well written and interesting.